


Not Just Some Stupid Story After All

by MilitaFire



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How that hug in 3x08 should of went, Hugs, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Just pretend Hopper wasnt a huge asshole this season for this, Nancy is a member of the Byers family and I will die on this hill, if you want something done you gotta do it yourself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 00:18:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19734565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilitaFire/pseuds/MilitaFire
Summary: How that hug in 3x08 should of went.Rated T for some swearing and mentions of character deaths.*SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3*





	Not Just Some Stupid Story After All

**Author's Note:**

> Fix it fic for that hug between Joyce and Will after the Starcourt Battle in 3x08.
> 
> Enjoy!

_It's over. It's finally over,_ she thinks as she's led outside of the burning mall by a couple of American soldiers wielding guns, directing them to go to a nearby ambulance and get checked out by paramedics. She's hand-in-hand with Jonathan, who's got his free hand on Will, and if his grip on the boy's shoulder is as tight as the one on her hand, she thinks, he has no intention of letting either of them go. 

Both Will and Jonathan have their heads turned back around towards the mall entrance, two pairs of eyes not leaving the door.

"Jonathan, do you think Mom-"

"I'm sure she's okay, buddy," Jonathan says, but she can hear the wavering tone in his voice that betrays his fear.

On their way to the ambulance, she passes Mike, who's sitting with El in the back of another one, the girl's head resting on her brother's shoulder. She reaches out her hand and he does the same, and she gives his hand a squeeze as they pass.

 _"Are you okay?"_ She mouths, and Mike nods.

 _"What about you?"_ He mouths back and she nods as well.

 _"I love you."_ she mouths and just as a large group of soldiers run in front of her and obscure her vision, she can see the same semblance on her baby brother's lips.

  
The paramedics look all three of them over, and she nods 'Yes' or 'No' respectively to their questions, barely able to form words yet. One of the paramedics, who she barely registers introducing himself to them as Jason, has Jonathan sit down next to Will on the very back of the vehicle and patches up the wound on his forehead from yesterday. Jesus, was it only yesterday that they both almost died in that hospital? That they had killed their bosses? It feels like a lifetime ago.

After Jonathan has been taken care of, she crawls into the back of the ambulance to sit as the exhaustion of tonight and the previous days fatigues her. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Jonathan wrap a blanket around Will's shoulders and then pull the younger Byers brother into a tight embrace, murmuring something she can't make out in his ear.

The third year in a row where the world almost ends. And this time with more death to last five lifetimes. If the Flayed really were used by the Mind Flayer to "build" itself, like El had said...

  
Heather Holloway. They had 3rd period Math together. She was always polite to her whenever they spoke.

Poor Mrs. Driscoll, a lonely old woman who wanted nothing more than some company.

And countless others.

  
With a soft, humorless snort, she realizes she was wrong earlier. It's not over. It'll never be over. She'll deal with the aftereffects of this her entire life. Every single person involved will do the same.

  
_What is it with this town?_ She thinks. _Is it cursed or some shit? What did we ever do to deserve this?_

She's taken out of her stupor by Jonathan climbing into the back of the ambulance, Will still sitting on the very back.

  
"Hey," he says softly.

"Hi." She responds.

He's still holding one of the blankets that he was given and drapes it over her shoulders with the utmost care, making sure it covers her completely before sitting next to her quietly.

His eyes are still trained towards the direction of the mall entrance, and his bouncing leg and the way he's chewing on his fingernails gives how he's feeling away.

"She's gonna be fine, Jonathan." She assures. "Any minute she's gonna come through that door looking for you, and Will too."

He slowly nods, but she can tell he's still worried.

"Hey, come here."

She takes one end of the blanket and scoots closer to him, wrapping it around his shoulder so they're sharing. They both watch their hands intertwine in the middle, scar pressing against scar, gently playing with the other's fingers. It's silent for some time.

  
"I guess it wasn't just some stupid story after all."

He's the one to break it, and they share a look before breaking out into soft giggles. His quiet laughter makes her heart soar. She gently tilts his chin up so his gaze meets hers. His eyes shine with so much emotion, but one breaks through most of all. The same look she's seen when she shot a gun for the first time, the same one she's seen outside the hunting store, the same one she sees every time they wake up in the same bed together.

He presses his forehead against hers. The new bandage causes her a bit of discomfort but she really couldn't give a shit right now.

"I love you so, so much," he mumbles.

"I love you even more." She breathes out her response.

"Not possible." A smile spreads across his face and she returns it. He leans down presses his lips against hers and for a few moments she lets her world shrink down to Jonathan and the feel of his mouth against hers. She pulls away slowly and nudges her nose with his, a habit she's gained since the day they got together. He smiles again. She kisses his clothed shoulder and rests her head on it, and feels the weight of his own resting against the top of her head. Her body may be fatigued but it is brimming with the comfort that Jonathan's presence always provides.

Some time later, a voice calls out louder than the ambulances, fire trucks, and helicopters all surrounding the mall.

"Jonathan? Will?!?!"

All three heads perk up, but none as fast as the Byers boys.

"Mom?" Will calls out softly, and rounding the corner from behind a fire truck comes the Byers matriarch herself.

Faster than she can blink, both boys are out of the ambulance and running towards their mother at top speed. She ditches the blanket, already half off of her shoulders due to Jonathan's quick exit, and follows behind them. Joyce runs to meet her sons and the three meet in an embrace, Joyce pressing a kiss to the top of Will's head and then to Jonathan's cheek. All three clutch each other in a way that she knows they'd rather be dead than be separated from each other.

"-love you. I love you both more than you'll ever know," She hears Joyce sobbing when she catches up.

"We love you, Mom," Jonathan says and Will nods his head against Joyce's neck in agreement. She stands off to the side with her arms crossed, a soft, tired smile on her face. Thank god she made it out okay. She can hear the Byers family murmuring to each other, sentiments of love and "Are you okays" and other things she can't quite make out.

Joyce meets her eye over Will's shoulder.

And that's when she reaches out for her and pulls her into the family hug.

All three make room for her, Joyce on her left, Jonathan on her right, and Will across from her. She can feel the woman's hand stroking the back of her hair, like she's seen her do to Jonathan and Will countless times. The love she feels in her heart threatens to overwhelm her.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asks softly.

"I'm okay. Exhausted, but okay."

"Thank you for watching over my boys," Joyce says and her heart fills even more.

"Of course. How are you, Joyce?"

Joyce's eyes well with even more tears.

"H-Hopper...he..."

Joyce trails off but the tone of her voice and the solemn way the boys react tell her all she needs to know, and her heart sinks.

Chief Hopper is gone.

It was just last December that he had come knocking on the Wheeler's door looking for her, and asked her if she would do El's makeup for the Snowball.

El. She looks up and finds the girl looking at them, and then her eyes well with the realization and her face crumbles.

"I have to talk to her," Joyce mumbles and slowly pulls away from them, with one final squeeze to her shoulder. She walks to El and pulls her into a tight hug, and she can hear El crying from where she stands.

Will's eyes go from his mother and El, and then to the other kids, all in various places, and then up to his big brother, asking a silent question.

"Go ahead," Jonathan says and Will wraps him in a tight embrace for a few long moments.

"I love you."

"I love you too, buddy."

Will then turns to her, and hugs her too.

"Thank you. For everything, Nancy."

"You're welcome, Will." He releases her and leaves to check in with his friends.

Jonathan reaches out for her hand and she takes it, lifting it over her head and putting his arm around her shoulders and tucking herself into his side. She turns her head and kisses his knuckles, and he responds with a soft kiss to her temple.

No words are exchanged between them as they walk back to sit in the ambulance. No more words are needed. Just each other's comfort.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


End file.
